Skip to main content
Log in

Musical Thought in the Zhuangzi: A Criticism of the Confucian Discourse on Ritual and Music

Dao Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Musical thought in the Chinese tradition is frequently discussed in terms of the Confucian discourse on “ritual and music (lǐyuè 禮樂),” but how this Confucian discourse has been viewed by its critics has seldom been addressed. This paper aims to explore musical thought in the Zhuangzi as a serious critique of Confucian musical discourse. Zhuangzian thinkers doubt whether Confucian ritual music can avoid restricting music within a specific musical tradition, impeding the freedom to enjoy music, and distorting the nature of music. Unlike Confucian discourse, which emphasizes music’s external effects, Zhuangzian musical thought ultimately leads us to focus on the essential questions: how to cultivate one’s own sensibility toward musical harmony, how to open one’s mind to comprehend different musical sources, and how to eventually reach musical Dao.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Berkson, Mark. 1996. “Language: The Guest of Reality: Zhuangzi and Derrida on Language.” Essays on Skepticism, Relativism, and Ethics in the Zhuangzi. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

  • Cai, Zhongde 蔡仲德. 1990. Commentaries and Translations of Materials for History of Music Aesthetics in China 中國音樂美學史資料注譯. Beijing: Renmin Yinyue Chubanshe 人民音樂出版社.

  • _____. 1997. A History of Music Aesthetics in China 中國音樂美學史. Beijing 北京: Renmin Yinyue Chubanshe 人民音樂出版社.

  • Cao, Chuji 曹礎基. 1982. A Preliminary Commentary of the Zhuangzi 莊子淺注, 北京: Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局.

  • Chai, David. 2009. “Musical Naturalism in the Thought of Ji Kang.” Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 8.2: 151-171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Yang 陳暘. 1982. Book of Music 樂書. Seoul: National Gukak Center (a photo-print edition).

  • Cook, Scott. 1995a. “Yue Ji 樂記: Record of Music: Introduction, Translation, Notes, and Commentary.” Asian Music 26.2:

  • _____. 1995b. “Unity and Diversity in the Musical Thought of Warring States China.” Ph.D Thesis. University of in Michigan.

  • _____. 1997. “Zhuang Zi and His Carving of the Confucian Ox.” Philosophy East and West 47.4:

  • DeWoskin, Kenneth. 1982. A Song for One or Two: Music and the Concept of Art in Early China. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

  • Fukunaga, Mitsuji 福永光司, 1971. A Collection of Theories of Art 藝術論集. Tokyo 東京: Asahi Sinbunsya 朝日新聞社

  • Guo, Qingfan 郭慶藩. 1989. Collected Explanations on the Zhuangzi 莊子集釋. Beijing 北京: Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局.

  • Henricks, Robert G., trans. 2000. L ao Tzu’s Tao-Te Ching: A Translation of the Startling New Documents found at Guodian. New York: Columbia University Press.

  • Ivanhoe, Philip J. and Van Norden, Bryan W. ed. 2001. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett.

  • Knoblock, John. 1994; 1990; 1994. Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works. California: Stanford University Press.

  • Liu, Xiaogan. 1994. Classifying the Zhuangzi Chapters. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

  • Mair, Victor H. trans. 1994. Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. New York/Toronto/London/Sydney/Auckland: Bantam Books.

  • Park, So Jeong 朴素晶. 2009. “Yīnshēngxiānghé (音聲相和) and Dayīnxīshēng (大音希聲) in the Laozi” (《老子》’音聲相和’和’大音希聲’辨析). International Chinese Studies in Korea (國際中國學研究) 11: 233-252.

  • Sadie, Stanly, ed. 2001. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. New York: Grove.

  • Sun, Xidan 孫希旦. 1995. A Collective Explanation of the Book of Ritual 禮記集解. Beijing 北京: Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局.

  • Wang, Fuzhi 王夫之. 1989. A Explanation of the Zhuangzi 莊子解. Hong Kong 香港: Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局.

  • Watson, Burton. 1964. Basic Writings of M o Tzu, H sün Tzu, and H an Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia University Press.

  • _____. 1968. The Complete Works of C huang Tzu. New York and London: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan, Lingfeng 嚴靈峰. 1972. The First Volume of the Complete Collection of the Zhuangzi from the Hall of Wuqiubei 無求備齋莊子集成初編, Taipei 臺北: Yiwen Yinshuguan 藝文印書館.

  • Yang, Yinliu 楊蔭瀏. 1997. A Draft History of Ancient Chinese Music 中國古代音樂史稿, Taipei 臺北: Dahong 大鴻.

  • Ziporyn, Brook, trans. 2009. Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to So Jeong Park.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Park, S.J. Musical Thought in the Zhuangzi: A Criticism of the Confucian Discourse on Ritual and Music. Dao 12, 331–350 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-013-9332-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-013-9332-3

Keywords

Navigation